Improvement in car-couplings



UNI'IED STA'IES PATENT WILLIAM G. SMOOT, 0F WASHINGTON, nrsrnror OB OOLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming parb of Letters Patent N0. 172,667, dated J anuary 25, 1876; application filedl May 31, 1875.

U which in pertains t0 merke and nse Ehe sam'e,

reference being had c0' the accomp-anying drnwings, and t0 theletters 01" referenee mnrked thereon, which forxn a part 0f this speeification, and in which Figure 1 is a bottorh plan 0f a ear having 111) i1nproved couplingi Fig. 2 is a similar view, t;he plates Hand I having been rernoved. Fig. 3 is a vertical section throngh the plane indieated hy the line y y in Fig. l, and Figs. 4 und 5 .ire detached parts 0f m y improved conpling,

Si1nilar letters of referenee indicate eorresponding parts in all the figures.

'lhis invention is an improvenxent upon the carconpling descrihed and shownin the Letters Patent N0. 162,111, grnnted t0 1ne 011 the 13th day of April, 1875; und Ehe improven 1ent consists in tl1e construetion and arrnngement; 0f certai1i devices, whereby the rigidity 0t' the conpling hook and Stern is entirely obviated, as hereinafter more fully explained.

In the drawing, Areprese1its the bumper or couplin g t-ongue, whieh is forced forward by a spring, B. 0 is the ste m 0f the eoupling- 1100k O, whieh has a laterally-projecting arm, D, that engages with 13W0 d0Wnwzrrd-projecb ing arms,a a, on the bumper-stem A. These tw0 arn1s may be united by a cross-piece; bnt that is 11011 necessary. The arm D has a lip,

d, which serves 110 keep io and the coupling ste1n in the proper position. The forward part of the eonplingstem G xnoves in a slot, c, and is, when the ears are eoupled, retained in its position' by the lock-plate E. This latter slicles in a vertieal sloo er recess in the front part 0f the placform 0f the car, and falls into position by its 0wn weight, assisted hy the spring e, whichis arranged within the reeess in whieh the loek-plate E moves above said plate. The spring e is, however, not essential 150 the operation ot' the plate E, as the latter may be macle of sufficient weight t0 fall into position without the aid of spring e. Another spring, e, is arranged ver tically within the recess in which plate E slides, so zus to press against either side of seid platze. This is f0r the pnrpose 0f allowing the plate E and coupling-stem O some elastieity of motion sidewise, which beeornes desirable in turning enrves. The spring e may be arranged on either side 0f the platte E, and it may be either a rubher cushion or an elliplzie or spiral steel spring, or the coupling stem r'nay be provided with an elastic spring or cushion along the line 0f contact with platze E, whieh would he an eqnivalen-t 110 spring e shown in the drawing.

In-order to uncouple the cars, the plate E is lifted so as t0 disengage the coupling-stem C, Which is done as follows: Plate E has a wedge-shaped projection, E, Which engages With the \veclge-sllaped projection G on the sliding arm G. The latter is pivoted ab 0ne end, indicated by g, t0 the lever F, and at the obher end slides in snitablebea-fings h. Arm Ghas tw0 downward-projeeting brackets or entehes, g g, the object 0f which is 130 operace the conpling and eoupling-stexn O, if, by any chance 01' aecident, it sh0nld bec0rn(a hung, or refuse t0 work. lt, f0r instance, npon liiting the loekplate E, so as t0 relea-se O, the latter should still remuin in its loeked position, the arm g will push in back 0r unloek it; am], also, ifib sh01ild feil to loek 0r coi1ple automatically, it ean be pushed into the.loeked 0r coupled position by arm g, hy simply operating the lever F, Whieh has its fulernm ab z. 'lhe rear part 0r ten0n of the bumper-tongue, denoted by A in 011e drawing, passes thr0u1gh a plate, k, secured vertiually across the reeess in which A slides, am]. agains'n which Ehe spring B ahuts. Another spring, B, is coiled around that part ot' the tenon A that pr0 jects bel0w 0r 011 the other side 0f plate k. H is a sliding plate provided with slots er guidiasl thal; slide npon the bolts m, which serve the double purpose 0f guiding and securing plate H. T0 the side of this pleite which faces the bottom 0f the ear tbere is secured a Ing, n, having an aperture through it t0 admit; of the insertion and easy motion. of the tongue 0r tenon A, and sniall enough 110 prevent the spring B from passing through,

FFIGE so that the latter will be confiued npon A between the plate 70 and Ing n.

Tl1e conpling-stem O, already deseribed, is pivoted a1: a: to the sliding platze H and by this arrangement tl1e rigiclity 0f ehe conplingstem is entirely overcome, so that; when l;he train is set in motion there is no sudden shoek 0r jerk as is the ease where the co'upling or draw-head is secnre(l rigidly onto the platform 0r body 0f the car.

The operation 0f my improved ear-conpling will be readily understood from the foregoing deseription. Wl1en the lever F is moved in the direction indicated by the arrovv tl1e lockplate E is-raised by wedge G, seeured 0nto plate G,- coming in contaet with wedge E, and the tension of the spring B will foree the bnrnper A outward, and with ic the projeeting arms a a, whieh slide in a slot in 1:he coveringplatze I. 'lhe result isthat the laterally-projeetiug arm er bracket; D, wl1ich is plaeed ob liquely o1 slai1tingly in its relation 110 the coupling-stem O, is forced forward, thus impelling the eoupling-stem, and with il: tl1e coupling-hook, back from the bumper int0 the nncoupled position. WV l1en, on the other band, the cars c0Ine together, in making np the train, tl1e pressnre upon t.l1e bumperhead A will move the projecting arnns a a backward, thereby forcing the coupling-hook O int0 the loeked 0r coupled position, while tl1e lock-plate E, which Will then be in its position back 0f tl ne conpling-stem, makes aceidental uncoupling absolutely impossible( It will also be observed that the bumper-head A- eontinues t0 operate by the spring B independent 0f the position 0f the eoupling-hook C, whenher tl1is is loeked 01 open. Bythis arrangement, while the cars are coupled, the two opposite bumper-heads A will always bear against each ot-her, thereby at all times taking up'the slaek, und preventing any sudden shock when t;he cars are brought suddenly 0r violently together, as in making a short stop, 01' in ease of eollisions. By the combination and arrangement 0f the* couplingstem with the spring's B and e, the eonplin g is made elastic and flexible both in a longitudinal and lateral direction, so that, as has been already stated,

when the train is started there will be no sudden shoek o1 jerk; nor will tl;ere be any Jarring O1 jolting in turning curves beeause ehe coupling-hook 011 each car will be cushioned. by the elastie spring OI eushion e. 'Ihe coupling-head O may be recessedto receive 0ne end 0f an ordinary eoupling-link, 0I il3 may be provided with a projecting bracket, perforated 1:0 admit; 0f the Insertion of a coupling- Having thus described my invention, I elaim and desire to seeure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. 'lhe combinalzion of the eoupling-stem O with the sliding plate H, having slots 0r guides Z sliding upon bolts m, and lug n sliding upon bumper-stem A, subsbantially as and for the purpose sei: forth. 1

2. 'Il1e eombination of tl1e sliding plate H, having 1:he lug n, With the bumper-stem A, haviug coiled npon i t fihe spring B, substantially as and for thepurpose seli forth.

3. The combination ofthe coupling-stem 0 pivotecl als x with the sliding arm G operated by lever F, and having projeetions or catches g g arranged and eperating substantially as and for lihe purpose sei; forth.

4. (Ehe combination 0f' th e sliding arm G having the laterally-pfojecting wedge G with the loek-plate E having the laterally-projecting wedge E, snbstantiall'y as and for thepurpose seb forth.

5. The combination 0f the lever I arm G, and loek-plate E having projeeting wedge E,

substantially as and f01' the purpose sei: forth.

6. 'llie colnbination 0f the lock-plate E with the spring 01 cushion e, substantially as and. for the pu'rpose sei; forth.

l 7. The combination of the loek-plate E with tl1e spring e, substantially as and for tl1e purpose sei: fortal1.

In testimony tl1al; I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aflixed my signature in presence 0f two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. SMOOT. 

